Storage box with improved design including replaceable hinges and latches

ABSTRACT

A storage container, such as a tackle box, with well protected latches and hinges which can be easily repaired if they are damaged. The front latches and rear hinges preferably use inserts which are formed separately from the upper and lower tackle box trays. The rear hinge insert, for example, preferably takes the form of a U-shaped piece of molded plastic with a thinned plastic section in its middle to act as an internal hinge for the insert. The walls of this U-shaped insert are pressure fitted into slots formed into the interior of the upper and lower trays. The front latch insert is preferably formed from an approximately flat piece of plastic which has a bar at an open spaced end and a solid, flanged snap at the other end. Both the bar and the snap for this front insert are received into grooved catches which are formed onto both the upper and lower trays. In the case of both the front latches and rear hinges, they are preferably designed to be flush with the adjoining surfaces of the tray by fitting into recesses in the trays so as to minimize any danger of breaking by being caught or snagged on another object.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to storage containers, such as compartmentalized storage boxes for fishing tackle, hardware, sewing items etc. More particularly, an improved design of a storage box is disclosed with durable, replaceable hinges and latches which greatly improve the longevity of the box.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Compartmentalized plastic boxes are in common use to store fishing equipment, hardware pieces, sewing items and for many other applications where a variety of small items must be stored in an easily retrievable manner. In the fishing field, these compartmentalized plastic boxes are referred to as “tackles boxes” and are often used to store the various hooks, swivels, sinkers, bobbers, snaps and other small equipment commonly used for sport fishing. Often, these fishing tackle boxes take the form of a rectangular plastic case that opens up to expose a number of divided compartments where the fishing equipment can be stored in an organized manner. To manufacture these plastic tackle boxes, the outside shell is typically injection molded into two mating trays.

[0003] Traditional manufacturing methods of these storage boxes have the front latches and rear hinges for the two mating trays often injection molded as part of the trays themselves. One type of popular connector hinge or latch which can be formed integrally with the plastic trays is a ball and socket connector. For this type of connector, a small ball is injection molded to stick out of one tray and a pair of spaced apart mating sockets is injection molded to stick out of the other tray so that when the ball is squeezed between the pair of sockets, a hinge or latch is formed. Another type of common integrally molded connector latch for the front of tackle boxes is a plastic snap latch. For this type of latch, a flexible hanging snap is injection molded to stick out of one tray and a mating catch is injection molded to stick out of the other tray. To allow this type of latch to snap and unsnap, the plastic is thinned where the snap meets the tray housing so that the thinned portion can act as a hinge for the snap.

[0004] The biggest problem with conventional plastic tackle boxes is that the hinges and latches frequently break and cannot be replaced. For example, where the plastic is thinned to create a hinge, that thinned plastic will eventually tear or break when the hinge is moved back and forth a number of times to open and close the box. This tearing or breaking process is hastened when the thin plastic is heated, such as when the tackle box sits in the trunk of a hot car. The ball and socket type of connector is also susceptible to breakage when the protruding ball or socket is banged against another object. If one of the balls or sockets is thereby damaged by being chipped or broken, that usually means that the ball and socket connector will no longer function. Since plastic hinges and latches are injection molded as part of the tackle box using traditional manufacturing methods, they cannot be replaced if they are broken. As such, a broken tackle box hinge or latch usually means that the entire tackle box must be discarded.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] The present invention provides a storage box with hinges and latches which can be easily repaired if they are damaged and recessed areas to protect such hinges and latches. In the preferred embodiment, the front latches and rear hinges can be replaced in the field by using replaceable inserts which are formed separately from the upper and lower storage box trays. The rear hinge insert, for example, is a separate piece of plastic that preferably takes the form of a U-shaped piece of molded plastic with a thinned plastic section in its middle which acts as an internal hinge for the insert. The walls of this U-shaped insert are pressure fitted into slots formed into the interior of the upper and lower trays. A ridged ramp is formed into each wall of this U-shaped insert to be received into a slot cutout in order to discourage the U-shaped insert from slipping out of the slot once it has been inserted.

[0006] The front latch insert is preferably formed from an approximately flat piece of plastic which has a bar at an open spaced end and a solid, flanged snap at the other end. Both the bar and the snap for this front latch insert are received into grooved catches which are formed onto both the upper and lower trays. In the case of both the front latches and rear hinges, they have been designed to fit within recessed areas of the upper and lower trays so that they are completely flush with the adjoining surfaces of the tray to minimize any danger of breaking by being caught or snagged on another object.

[0007] If either the front latches or rear hinges of the present invention are broken, it will most likely be the separable inserts which are broken. When an insert is broken, it can easily be discarded and replaced by another insert. Preferably, replacement inserts are sold as accessories or may be included with the storage box when it is sold. In this way, the fact that a hinge or latch insert is broken does not mean that the entire storage box needs to be discarded.

[0008] Other advantageous features of the invention include moveable section dividers which are flanged on their tops for ease of gripping and tapered on their sides for fitting snugly into mating slots. These moveable dividers can be colored coded to facilitate retrieval of items from the storage box. The storage box sections are also preferably rounded at their bottoms to facilitate removal of stored items.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009]FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a preferred storage box of the present invention;

[0010]FIG. 2 is a close-up exploded view of the front latch insert of the present invention as it is being attached in an open position to the receiving catch on the lower storage box tray;

[0011]FIG. 3 is close-up exploded view from outside the storage box of the rear hinge insert of the present invention as it is being attached to the upper and lower storage box trays;

[0012]FIG. 4 is a close-up exploded view from inside the storage box of the rear latch insert of the present invention as it is being attached to the upper and lower storage box trays;

[0013]FIG. 5 is a close-up exploded view of how a movable divider can be inserted into mating slots within the storage box of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014]FIG. 1 shows a preferred form of storage box 10 of the present invention. This storage box 10 is preferably formed by joining an upper tray 20 with a lower tray 30 using a pair of latches 40 in the front of the two trays and three hinges 60 (see, FIGS. 3-4) in the back of the two trays. Inside the storage box 10 are a plurality of sections 80 which can be divided into smaller compartments 82 through the use of movable dividers 90 (see, FIG. 5). Along the top edges of the upper tray 20, ridges 22 are preferably formed to aid in gripping the storage box 10.

[0015] In the preferred embodiment, the upper 20 and lower 30 trays of storage box are preferably formed from a sturdy, see through material like acrylic plastic. Use of see through acrylic plastic allows the user to visually inspect the contents of all the storage box compartments 82 before going to the trouble of opening the storage box to retrieve a particular item. Acrylic plastic is also resistant to the types of oxidation problems which occurs in lower grades of plastic and in other materials, such as metals. Through injection molding, acrylic plastic can be used to form a storage box of the present invention easily and inexpensively. Nonetheless, those of skill in the art will recognize that the storage box of the present invention can be made from a broad range of materials including many types of plastics, metals, woods etc.

[0016] Turning now to FIG. 2, the construction of a preferred form of front latch 40 can be seen. The front latch 40 comprises a front latch insert 42 which mates with both a lower tray catch 50 and an upper tray catch 56. The front latch insert 42 is preferably formed from an approximately flat piece of plastic which has a bar 43 at an open spaced end and a solid snap 44 at the other end. This front latch insert 42 is also preferably made from polypropylene through an injection molding process, but need not be clear. In fact, to aid recognition of the storage boxes, the front latch insert 42 can be brightly colored (e.g. red, blue, yellow, green etc.) for easy identification.

[0017] To connect the upper and lower trays, the bar 43 portion of the front latch insert 42 is first inserted into the U-shaped groove 51 of the lower tray catch 50 as shown by the dotted line in FIG. 2 and then snapped into movable engagement. The front latch insert 42 can then be swung upward to engage the upper tray catch 56. In the course of swinging upward, the open space 46 of the front latch insert 42 allows the front latch insert 42 to fit over the protruding portion 52 of the lower tray catch 50. As the front latch insert 42 swings into a vertical position, the mating flange 45 on the front latch insert snaps into engagement with the upper tray catch 56 by pushing past the lip 57 of the upper tray catch 56. The resulting engagement of the front latch insert 42 with the upper tray catch 56 holds the front of the upper 20 and lower 30 trays firmly, yet releasably, together. To make the front latch insert 42 easier to maneuver, ridges 47 (FIG. 1) are preferably molded on the solid, front facing surface. A gripping flange 48 is also provided at the top of the front latch insert 42 to facilitate the opening of a closed insert 42.

[0018] An additional feature of the front latch 40 of the present invention is its recessed construction. This recessed construction is achieved by making U-shaped recesses 54, 55 in the front surfaces of the upper 20 and lower 30 trays. These U-shaped recesses 54, 55 should be deep enough that, when the front latch 40 is in a closed position, its front surface is flush with the front surface of the adjoining surfaces of the storage box 10. This recessed construction prevents the front latch 40 from sticking out away from the storage box, as is common in conventional storage box construction, in a way which makes it easy to snag the front latch 40. This recessed construction also allows the storage box 10 of the present invention to fit comfortably into smaller spaces than conventional storage boxes.

[0019] The construction of the rear hinge 60 of the present invention is illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG. 3 illustrates this rear hinge 60 construction looking from outside the storage box 10 and FIG. 4 illustrates this rear hinge 60 construction from inside the storage box 10. The rear hinge 60 preferably comprises a rear hinge insert 62 which is received into both an upper tray hinge slot 70 and a lower tray hinge slot 72. In its preferred form, the rear hinge insert 62 is injection molded as a single piece with a thinned section 63 in its middle which acts as an internal hinge. Like the front latch insert 40, the rear hinge insert 62 need not be clear, but can advantageously be brightly colored to help differentiate one storage box from another. On each side of the rear hinge insert's thinned section 63 is a thicker, slot penetrating wall 64 which mates into rear hinge slots 70, 72 as shown by the dotted lines on FIGS. 3 and 4. To allow the rear hinge insert 62 to snap firmly into hinge slots 70, 72, ramped ridges 66 are preferably formed on the slot penetrating walls 64 to engage mating cutouts 68 which are formed in the rear hinge slots 70, 72. For reasons of appearance, these mating cutouts 68 are preferably formed only on the inside of the rear hinge slots 70, 72. As with the front latch 40, the rear hinge 60 is preferably designed to be flush with the adjacent surfaces of the storage box 10 by forming rear recesses 67, 69 into the surfaces of the upper 20 and lower 30 trays. In this way, snags can be prevented for the rear hinge 60 and storage box space can be minimized in the same way as previously described for the indented front latch 40. This flush design allows the user to place this storage box in a bag or box without snagging it on either the way in or out.

[0020] Turning now to the inside storage space of the storage box of the present invention as illustrated in FIG. 5, the lower tray 30 is preferably molded with a plurality of elongate sections 80. In contrast to the square bottoms of traditional storage boxes, the preferred bottoms 81 of these elongate sections 80 for the present storage box are rounded to facilitate retrieval of small items stored inside the storage box 10. To further divide the elongate sections 80 into smaller compartments 82, movable dividers 90 are preferably provided. Alternatively, some or all of the dividers 90 can be fixed (e.g., molded as an integral part of the tray). In the preferred embodiment, these dividers 90 have a gripping flange 92 at their top edge to make them easier to insert and remove from the storage box. When inserted, the dividers 90 are received into slots 94 which are molded into the section sides. To make the dividers 90 fit snugly into these slots 94, side flanges 96 are preferably tapered on each side of the dividers 90 rub against the slot walls as dividers 90 are lowered into the slots 94. In the preferred embodiment, slots 94 are formed at even intervals along each of the elongate sections 80 as illustrated in FIG. 1. While most of each divider is preferably formed of clear plastic or acrylic, the gripping flanges 92 of each divider 90 can be colored, perhaps with a variety of different colors (e.g. blue, red, yellow and green), to aid and differentiate each colored storage box, facilitate organization of items within the storage box and/or facilitate the easy retrieval of items. The dividers 90 are also sized so that they can be stored.

[0021] In the foregoing specification, the invention has been described with reference to specific preferred embodiments. It will, however, be evident to those of skill in the art that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative, rather than restrictive, sense; the invention being limited only by the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A storage container comprising: an upper tray and a lower tray; one or more latches to connect the front of said upper and lower trays wherein said latches include replaceable inserts; and, one or more hinges to connect the rear of said upper and lower trays wherein said hinges include replaceable inserts.
 2. The storage container of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of movable or fixed dividers.
 3. The storage container of claim 1 wherein each of said hinge inserts is U-shaped with two walls and a bottom portion connecting said two walls.
 4. The storage container of claim 3 wherein said U-shaped hinge insert is formed from plastic and said bottom portion includes an internal hinge formed by making said plastic thinner.
 5. The storage container of claim 3 wherein said U-shaped hinge insert further includes ramped ridges on said walls.
 6. The storage container of claim 4 wherein each wall of said U-shaped hinge insert is received into a slot formed integrally on each of said upper tray and lower tray.
 7. The storage container of claim 1 wherein each of said latch inserts is approximately flat and has a bar at one end and a flanged snap at the other end.
 8. The storage container of claim 7 wherein said approximately flat latch insert is formed from plastic and has a gripping surface.
 9. The storage container of claim 1 wherein said latches and hinges are flush with the adjoining surfaces of said upper and lower trays by being received into recesses within said trays.
 10. The storage container of claim 7 wherein said latch insert bar is received into a grooved catch formed integrally on said lower tray and the flange of said snap is received into a grooved catch formed integrally on said upper tray.
 11. A storage container comprising: an upper tray and a lower tray; replaceable inserts to connect both the front and the rear of said upper and lower trays which are received into mating surfaces formed on said upper and lower trays; wherein said rear replaceable inserts each have two walls and a bottom portion connecting said two walls, wherein said bottom portion includes an internal hinge and said two walls are each received into integrally formed slots in said trays; and wherein said front replaceable inserts each have a bar at one end and a flanged snap at the other end, wherein said bar and snap are received into integrally formed catches in said trays.
 12. The storage container of claim 11 wherein said storage container further comprises a plurality of movable dividers.
 13. The storage container of claim 11 wherein said trays and said replaceable inserts are formed from plastic.
 14. The storage container of claim 13 wherein said plastic is polypropylene.
 15. The storage container of claim 11 wherein said replaceable inserts are received into recesses within said trays in a way that makes them flush with the adjoining surfaces of said upper and lower trays.
 16. The storage container of claim 12 wherein said movable dividers are color coded.
 17. The storage container of claim 11 further comprising a plurality of sections formed into said lower tray wherein the bottom of each such section is rounded.
 18. A storage container comprising: an upper tray and a lower tray; replaceable inserts to connect both the front and the rear of said upper and lower trays which are received into recessed mating surfaces formed on said upper and lower trays in such a way that said inserts are flush with the adjoining surfaces of said trays; wherein said rear replaceable inserts each have two walls and a bottom portion connecting said two walls, wherein said bottom portion includes an internal hinge and said two walls are each received into integrally formed slots in said trays; and wherein said front replaceable inserts each have a bar at one end and a flanged snap at the other end, wherein said bar and snap are received into integrally formed catches in said trays.
 19. The storage container of claim 18 wherein said trays and said replaceable inserts are formed from injection molded plastic.
 20. The storage container of claim 18 further comprising a plurality of movable dividers.
 21. The storage container of claim 18 further comprising a plurality of sections formed into said lower tray wherein the bottom of each such section is rounded. 